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Guide for Teachers 

OF 

Marshaling the Forces of Patriotism 



A COURSE OF TWELVE STUDIES 
FOR USE IN THE CHURCH SCHOOL 

Prepared by 

HAROLD J. SHERIDAN 

Edited by 

HENRY H.^MEYER 



THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN 

NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO BOSTON 

TITTSBURGH DETROIT KANSAS CITY SAN FRANCISCO 

PORTLAND, ORE., SALESROOM 






Copyright, 1918, by 
THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN 



©CI.A494237 

MAR 25 1918 



GUIDE FOR TEACHERS OF 
MARSHALING THE FORCES OF PATRIOTISM 



PURPOSE OF THE COURSE 



The primary reason for the preparation 
of this course of study is the fact that 
we are at war. We came to the place 
where it seemed that the only possible way 
to maintain those things that we value 
more than life was to take up the sword and 
fight. Now we are in the fray. The life 
of the nation is at stake. But more than 
that, the principles of justice and right- 
eousness are hanging in the balance. It 
is the first duty of every citizen _ at this 
time to know the issues and to throw his 
full strength into the struggle for liberty 
and right. 

At such a time the church cannot be 
silent. People are asking, what does the 
war mean to government? what does it 
mean to business? what does it mean to 
industry? but most of all, what does it 
mean to the most fundamental things of 
life? This is the hardest and the most 
important question. The first message of 
the church is here, and even though our 
vision be not entirely clear and complete 
we must speak the words that we have. 

Three main things are needed: clear 
thinking, high moral standards and en- 
thusiastic devotion. The message of this 
course is for the strengthening of each of 
these. The teacher has the privilege of do- 
ing a fine piece of patriotic work in teach- 
ing this course. Some feel that these are 
sorrowful times and half wish that they 
did not live now. It is true that the days 
are dark, but it is also true that these are 
great times. The world after the war will 



not be as it is or as it was. It will be 
different. Whether it will be better or 
worse will depend on the vigor and devo- 
tion of those to whom the kingdom of God 
is more than meat and drink. 

The teacher should take special care to 
see that the course does not end in talk, but 
works out into action. Some of those who 
study it will be called to military service. 
All of the others are called to loyal serv- 
ice at home. As you study look over the 
ground and build a program. Is there any 
unharnessed energy in your community? 
Is there any effort going to ineffective 
ends? Is there a single need unmet? See 
that the class work does not stop until 
plans are made and action taken to fill 
these gaps. 

It is of the highest importance that the 
teacher should not merely lecture the 
students, but that the class work should 
be a real study period. Each member of 
the group should have a share in the dis- 
cussion. The teacher has a twofold task — 
to prod the thinking of the students and 
to keep the discussion from being side- 
tracked to unimportant details. 

The book is suitable for individual read- 
ing and may be used in special study 
groups, but its chief use will be in senior 
and adult classes in the Sunday school. 
The regular Sunday-school lessons should 
be cared for by home study and most or all 
of the class period given to the special 
course. The extra effort will be well re- 
paid. 



4 GUIDE FOR TEACHERS OF MARSHALING THE FORCES OF PATRIOTISM 



CHAPTER I 
WHY WE ARE AT WAR 



In this chapter we have a discussion of 
a topic on which the students already have 
a considerable amount of information. The 
teaching aim should therefore be to or- 
ganize the knowledge already possessed, to 
supplement it where necessary and to de- 
velop sufficiently clear convictions to lead 
to definite service to the nation. 

The discussion may be opened by the 
question, "Why is it necessary to ask 'the 
question of why we are at war?" It may 
be argued that the only thing that matters 
is that we are at war and that the thing 
that needs to be done now is not to talk 
about the reasons for our participation in 
the struggle, but to put our whole thought 
. nd effort on the carrying on of the battle. 
The answer to this objection is made clear 
in the early part of the chapter. 

The next step in the discussion should 
be the raising of the question, "What were 
the immediate reasons for a declaration of 
war?" Following this the teacher may 
ask this, "What evidences have we that 
Germany purposed to make herself master 



of the world?" For the summing up of the 
topic it may be well to ask such a question 
as, "Considered all in all, what seems to 
have been the best plan of procedure for 
the United States?" 

There is an abundance of material for 
additional reading on the topic of this 
chapter. Probably some of the students 
have already read Ambassador Gerard's 
book, My Four Years in Germany. The 
- official communications that passed between 
the United States and Germany might be 
examined for their light on the topic. The 
series of addresses by President Wilson 
on the relation of the United States to the 
war are of special value. In addition to 
these there is an unlimited amount of 
readily accessible material in books and 
magazines. It will be well to encourage 
individual students to make investigations 
and report to the class. Remember that 
one of our chief tasks is to help develop 
clear and careful thinking upon the prob- 
lems before us, for this is essential to real 
patriotism. 



CHAPTER II 
THE RELIEF OF THE OPPRESSED 



We have slowly come to learn that we 
cannot live as individuals apart from all 
of our neighbors. We have discovered that 
it is both a privilege and an obligation to 
live with others. We have come to the 
place where most of us are ready to say 
that Christianity is a "social" gospel and 
demands "social" living. But while we 
admit that individuals must take account 
of other individuals in the same com- 
munity, we have been inclined to feel that 
nations can live apart from each other. 
Some have taken the ground that as long 
as the territory of the United States is 
not attacked it is not our war and we 
should keep out of it. Now the business 
of this chapter is to show that nations as 



well as individuals must be neighbors. The 
teacher should aim to get the students not 
merely to agree to this, but to feel it, and 
to feel it so keenly that they will be ready 
to go out and regulate their lives in har- 
mony with this idea. 

The first question discussed might be 
this, "What answer would you make to the 
individual who said that if we would keep 
our ships at home we would not need to 
go to war?" Ask the class to explain the 
origin and purpose of the Chinese wall. It 
was built many centuries ago and was for 
the purpose of keeping the Chinese in and 
the foreigners out. The result of this 
studied policy to live by themselves was 
that the Chinese as a nation became stag- 



GUIDE FOR TEACHERS OF MARSHALING THE FORCES OF PATRIOTISM 5 



nant, and the outside nations were cut off 
from the advantages of contact with a par- 
ticularly high type of civilization. The 
next step in the discussion should be the 
asking of the question, "To what extent 
would it be possible for the United States 
to live by itself today?" 



Continue the discussion to bring out 
clearly the two points, that we owe it to 
ourselves to see that justice is done 
throughout the world, that we owe it to the 
other nations to see that might does not 
make right, but that the weaker as well as 
the stronger should have a chance. 



CHAPTER III 
DEMOCRACY WORTH FIGHTING FOR 



We are very boastful of 6ur democracy, 
but perhaps it would puzzle us to explain 
what democracy really is. The aim of this 
week's study is to make the meaning of 
democracy so clear that the students will be 
ready to make real sacrifices to defend it. 

As an assignment for home study in 
preparation for this lesson different mem- 
bers of the class might be asked to pre- 
pare themselves to give three-minute re- 
ports on the form of government in sev- 
eral different countries, such as England, 
Canada, Germany, France, Austria, Bel- 
gium. Information on these points can 
be readily obtained in encyclopedias and 
other reference books. 

The class work should then be opened 



by asking each student to report on the 
results of his investigation. Concerning 
each the class should discuss the question, 
"Is it fair to say that this country has a 
democratic form of government?" It 
would be well to notice also the points in 
which the government in question differs 
from that of the United States. 

Be sure to make clear the difference be- 
tween democracy and anarchy. This is a 
difference that we run great risk of neglect- 
ing. The question, "What effect would a 
German victory have upon the practice of 
government by the people ?" will bring the 
discussion to a focus and should be con- 
sidered carefully, for it is the crux of the 
whole problem- 



CHAPTER IV 
PAYING THE PRICE 



American young men and women are 
not as ready as the citizens of some other 
nations to obey orders that they do not 
understand. This independence and self- 
determination is good. We do not want 
to raise up a nation of machines; we seek 
to develop men and women. We hope that 
they will so use their God-given powers 
of thinking and choosing that they will 
show that they are really created in His 
image. 

But our greatest danger at this time is 
not that our young people will give blind 
obedience to unreasonable commands, but 
that they may fail to yield to any sense 
of obligation at all. The teacher's chief 



task in this chapter will be to help the 
students to such a vision of duty that 
their devotion and self-forgetfulness will 
be finer than that of those who are less 
independent and democratic. The first 
three chapters have argued the question, 
Now it is essential that the class should 
feel the pull of a great challenge. 

The class session should be serious, but 
not solemn. Great things are at stake, 
but optimism rather than pessimism should 
be in evidence. The study should issue 
in covenants that will be kept perhaps with 
the price of blood, but this is not so much 
terrible as it is glorious. We have in our 
day beautiful illustrations of the teaching 



6 GUIDE FOR TEACHERS OF MARSHALING THE FORCES OF PATRIOTISM 



of Jesus that "he that loseth his life shall 
find it." 

A good teaching plan may be built up 
around the questions given in the text- 
book at the end of the chapter. These may 



points as may arise in the class. The 
session should close with prayer if the 
class is sufficiently removed from the re- 
mainder of the school to allow the neces- 
sary quiet and seclusion. In any case the 



be discussed in some detail with such other prayerful spirit should be prominent. 



CHAPTER V 



THE CALL TO ENLIST 



This and the next three chapters deal 
with very practical activities. See that 
each issues in definite plans for work. 
Make ambitious plans. The hour demands 
big things. Do not be satisfied with help- 
ing nor with helping much. Do the biggest 
thing you can think of. Our untapped 
resources are beyond our own knowledge. 
When the war began many felt that at 
the rate that it was going it could not last 
more than a year at most. Now it has 
lasted several years at a far greater pace. 
Winston Churchill said recently that this 
year would be the hardest yet. We think 
we are doing much, but we may and prob- 
ably will have to do immensely bigger 
things than we have yet done. Remember 
that we are in the war to win, and that the 
harder we go at it now the sooner we will 
be over with it. 

As a preparation for the teaching of this 
lesson, spend some time in making a list of 



the various things that the members of- 
your class, both as individuals and as a 
group, could do to help in the nation's war 
tasks. Mark specially those that are not 
being done. Then mark those that are 
only being partly done. Do not show this 
to the class, but keep it for your own use. 
During the class session raise the three 
questions you had put to yourself, "What 
can we do?" "What are we not doing?" 
"What are we not doing thoroughly?" Put 
on the blackboard the items mentioned by 
the members of the class. By question and 
suggestion bring out points that are over- 
looked by the class. Do not fail to make 
out a definite program of war work. If 
you do not think of a considerable number 
of things not yet being done it will be 
because you have not done enough think- 
ing. It is probably safe to say that none 
of us have measured up to our largest 
opportunities. 



CHAPTER YI 



FOOD CONSERVATION AND WAR GARDENS 



This lesson should be particularly easy 
to teach. Most of us can help produce 
food and all can help conserve it. Build 
the lesson plan around these questions: 

1. What are the main things that the 
Food Administration asks of us ? 



, 2. Just why is it necessary to make these 
special plans ? 

3. In what specific ways can this class 
cooperate with the program? 

4. What can we do to bring the mat- 
ters to the attention of other people and 
secure their cooperation? 



GUIDE FOR TEACHERS OF MARSHALING THE FORCES OF PATRIOTISM 7 



CHAPTER VII 

THE RED CROSS, THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE WAR WORK OF 

THE CHURCHES 



These and similar topics may be assigned 
to members of the group for advance study 
(one to each student) : 

1. Red Cross work in the war zones. 

2. The work of the Home Service. De- 
partment of the Red Cross. 

3. Special relief for Armenia and Syria. 

4. Red Triangle work. 

5. Blue Triangle work. 



6. The war work of the churches (see 
the church papers for reports and plans of 
this work). 

At the class session reports should be 
received from each of the students. The 
main points of the reports may be put on 
the blackboard. Time should be reserved 
for a careful discussion of the question, 
"What can we do to help in each of these 
tasks ?" 



CHAPTER VIII 
SAFEGUARDING CHRISTIAN PROGRESS 



The points discussed in this chapter are 
exceedingly important, but are easily over- 
looked. They should receive careful at- 
tention. The discussion might follow some 
such plan as this : 

1. That we may be able to see the rela- 
tion of this chapter to the whole, recall our 
definition of the purposes for which we 
are fighting — democracy, justice, brother- 
hood. . 



2. Could these things be obtained and 
preserved without the aid of the spirit of 
Christ in the world? 

3. In what ways then can churches, 
schools and foreign missions help to estab- 
lish democracy, justice and brotherhood? 

4. Is it possible to carry on the war 
vigorously and at the same time give in- 
creased support to these institutions? 



CHAPTER IX 
THE WORLD IN THE MAKING 



M 



Professor Fosdick in his book, "The 
Challenge of the Present Crisis," points 
out that this war is being fought on the 
way up and not on the way down. What- 
ever we may say about the war itself, we 
must admit that the world has been headed 
toward better things and is still looking 
in that direction. Keep this thought upper- 
most in your teachings of this week. Send 
your young people out to the battle with 
a vision of a new and beautiful world in 
which righteousness shall prevail. Send 
them out with a fierce determination not 
to rest until all that hurts and spoils and 
hinders shall be done away and justice and 
brotherhood shall dwell in all the world. 



By question and suggestion gather up 
the evidences that we have that the world 
is growing better. Do not be frightened 
by the multitude of evil things, but in each 
case compare them with conditions that 
obtained in earlier times, and see how 
many places show some progress. The next 
step should be to bring out some of the 
elements that will enter into the new and 
better world before us. Dwell particularly 
on the difference between "the people's will 
and the people's mood." 

The final step in the lesson plan should 
be a discussion of practical ways by which 
the members of the class can now cooperate 
in the task of building this new world. 



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8 GUIDE FOR TEACHERS OF MARSHALING THE FOE ™ g™ 

CHAPTER X 
THE WAR AGAINST WAR 




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The real task here is not to prove that 
war should be abolished. We are all or 
nearly all ready to admit that the big ques- 
tion is, "How can we best fight against 
war?" 

Probably many members of your class 
have known or heard of individuals who 
believe that nonresistance is the quickest 
and surest road to peace. Ask them to 



state the arguments that "pacifists" use to 
show that their position is correct. When 
the points have been made call for the 
arguments on the other side. The problem 
hinges about three main questions: "What 
place is there for force in a world of 
peace?" "What place will love have in a 
world of peace ?" "How can force and love 
get along together?" 



CHAPTER XI 
THE FIGHT WHICH IS WORTHY THE GOAL 



The approach to the class work on this 
chapter might be varied by proposing that 
the members of the class suggest the 
questions to be discussed. If sufficient 
points are not brought up the questions at 



the end of the chapter in the textbook may 
be discussed. The topic is of first im- 
portance and should be dealt with thor- 
oughly. There is a real danger lest we for- 
get that our fight is for righteousness. 



CHAPTER XII 
THE INVISIBLE KING 



Our approach to the problem before us 
has been from the religious point of view, 
but this chapter deals specifically with that 
matter. The topic is of the greatest im- 
portance. We should do our best to see 
that the faith of our young people be not 
unsteadied by the strain and difficulties of 
the present situation, but be strengthened 
and purified. 

The discussion might well center about 
the following questions. How do you ex- 
plain the fact that the Kaiser and other 
German leaders continually declare that 
God is on their side, and we and our 
allies believe that God's favor is with us? 
(The answer is, of course, that some one 
must be mistaken.) What then do you 
think of the prayer of a notable member 
of one of our churches: "Oh, Lord, our 
God, help us to be more anxious to be on 
thy side than to have thee on our side"? 



What right have we to think that God 
is on our side? Which is in the worst diffi- 
culty, the man who says that God is good 
and powerful, and then has to admit that 
evil continues to exist in the world, or 
the man who does not admit the existence 
of God, and then has to admit that there 
are a great many God-like things in the 
world? Just what does prayer in war time 
do for us? What are the kinds of things 
for which we should pray ? 

The final study should end with prayer, 
preferably by the students as well as the 
teacher, that the God of all wisdom and 
love may enlighten our understanding and 
may guide us in the way of all truth and 
that we may realize that while we engage 
in proclaiming his truth and establishing 
his righteousness the spirit of the Christ 
will be with us always even unto the end 
of the world. 



Ml M 



Hollir 
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